Coaxial switch



Filed Feb. 10, 1953 f7 5227 [UP 63984 1 430/ U/VE/vA/YA/ COAXIAL SWITCH Carl F. Schunemann, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Thompson Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, :1 corporafion of Ohio Application February 10, 1953, Serial No. 336,057

7 Claims. (Cl. 200 1ss This invention relates to a coaxial switch, and more particularly to a novel coaxial switch rotor and housing therefor. v

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel coaxial switch rotor and housing assembly wherein the rotor contact is not shorted to the housing during movement of the rotor between switching positions.

It is a further important object of the present invention to provide a novel coaxial switch head for rotatably receiving a coaxial switch rotor wherein the housing will be spaced from the rotor inner conductor during actuation of the switch between switching positions so as to provide an open circuit between the inner and outer conductors of the rotor within the switch.

Other and further important objects of the present invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and accompanying drawings.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevational view of a coaxial switch rotor and housing assembly according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line IIII of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line IIIIII of Figure 2.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figures 1 and 2 is illustrated a single pole, six position switch which embodies the novel features of the present invention.

The switch of the present invention comprises a rotor housing 10 having a main terminal 11 and a plurality of generally radially extending branch terminals such as 12. The main fitting 11 provides an internal wall 14 defining an outer conductor and has centrally disposed therein an inner conductor 15 mounted by means of an insulating sleeve 16.

The terminal 11 has an externally threaded outer end as indicated at 18 for receiving a coaxial cable in threaded connection therewith. The coaxial cable is provided with an inner conductor prong for interengagement with the split end 19 of the inner conductor 15 of the terminal 11. Similarly the branch terminal 12 provides an outer conductor 21, an inner conductor 22 and an insulating sleeve 24, and is exteriorly threaded as indicated at 25 to receive a further coaxial cable for interconnection with the cable attached to the main fitting 11 by means of a rotor 27.

The rotor 27 may comprise a generally cylindrical metallic plug 28 having an elbow passage therein whose wall 30 defines an outer conductor for registry with the main outer conductor 14 and for selective registry with the branch outer conductors such as 21. The rotor also carries an elbow conductor 31 coaxially of the outer conductor 30 and retained within the plug by means of insulation 33. The elbow conductor 31 may have a pin i United States Patent 34 rotatably carried within a recess in the main inner conductor 15. By this means, since the pin 34 extends centrally of the rotor housing and in alignment with the axis of rotation of the rotor, the rotor 27 may be rotated within the housing 10 while maintaining continuous electrical continuity between the inner conductor 31 of the rotor and the inner conductor 15 of the main terminal. Likewise, since the outer conductor 30 of the rotor adjacent the outer conductor 14 of the main terminal 11 is coaxial with the axis of rotation of the rotor, electrical continuity is maintained between the outer conductor 14 and the rotor outer conductor 30 during rotation of the rotor.

Connected with the rotor housing 10 and closing the open end thereof is a closure plate37 having a boss 38 telescoping within the enlarged diameter portion 39 of the rotor chamber. The closure plate 37 is provided with a central aperture for receiving the rotor shaft 40 which extends from the rotor into an actuating housing 43. The housing 43 encloses the mechanism for selectively positioning the rotor 27. As indicated in Figure 2, this actuating mechanism may include a detent gear 44 which may cooperate with spring rollers (not shown) to precisely establish the six switching positions of the rotor.

As seen in Figure 2, the rotor plug 28 may have an enlarged diameter portion for snugly fitting within the enlarged diameter portion 39 of rotor chamber provided by the housing 10, and may have a reduced diameter portion snugly fitting within a reduced diameter portion 46 of the rotor chamber. For establishing electrical continuity with the branch inner conductors such as 22, the adjacent portion of the inner conductors 22 and 31 may be provided with complementary notches to afford an overlapping engagement between the inner conductors of the branch terminals and the rotor. As the rotor is rotated between branch terminals such as 12, it will be seen that the outer conductor 30 will be in electrical continuity with the interior walls of the rotor chambers 39 and 46. However, to prevent short circuiting between the outer conductor 30 and the inner'conductor 31 during rotation of the rotor 28 between switching positions, the housing 10 is grooved as indicated at 50 to provide clearance for the notched end 51 of the inner conductor 31 of the rotor as it travels between branch 7 terminals. It will be observed that the axial extent of the recess 50 is greater than the diameter of the inner conductor 31 and that the axially extending annular wall of the recess 50 is spaced radially from the end of the inner conductor terminal portion 51, so as to provide clearance in all directions between the rotor housing 10 and the inner conductor 31.

This provision of means for maintaining an open circuit between the rotor and inner and outer conductors during a switching operation has been found to greatly improve the characteristics of the switch for many applications, and avoids the necessity for any complicated arrangement for opening the coaxial circuit to the main terminal 11 during switching operations.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be elfected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A coaxial switch comprising a metallic housing having a generally cylindrical rotor chamber therein and having a generally axially extending main terminal and a plurality of generally radially extending branch terminals providing inner and outer conductors communicating with said rotor chamber, said branch terminals inner conductors terminating in arcuately spaced relation about the interior periphery of said rotor chamber, and a coaxial switch rotor rotatably mounted in said chamber and having inner and outer conductors for continuous'continuity withthe inner and outer conductors of the main terminal and for selectivecontinuity'with the respective branch terminal inner and outer conductors, the rotor inner conductor having one end terminating adjacent' the arcuateface' of said rotor for selective electrical continuity withthe branch inner conductors, and said-housing" interior walls' defining said" rotor chamber beingprovided with an annular recess extending between adjacent'stations and'providinga substantial air space between" the rotor inner conductor terminal portion and the interior walls'of said housing as the rotor inner conductorfis moved between'adjacent switching stations, saidrotor'innerconductor being "in electrical open circuit relation to said housing during switching operations, andsaid recess" being 'of relatively shallow' radial extent in comparison to the diameter of'the outer conductors of the" branch terminals to minimize the physical 'discontinuity caused by the recess in the outer conductors of the branch terminals.

2. A coaxial switch comprising a housing having a rotor chamber including an enlarged diameter portion and a reduced diameter cylindrical portion, a rotor having anenlarged diameter cylindrical portion snugly fitting within the enlarged diameter cylindrical portion of the chamber and having a reduced diameter cylindrical portion connecting with the enlarged diameter cylindrical'portion' of the rotor on a radially extending annular shoulder and snugly fitting within the reduced diameter cylindrical portion of the chamber, said housing having a plurality of coaxial conductors disposed about the periphery of-said chamber including inner conductors overlapping said shoulder for electrical continuity therewith, said rotor having coaxial conductor means at the periphery thereof for selective continuity with said housing coaxial conductors and including an inner conductor having a contact surface generally flush with said rotor annular shoulder for continuity with saidhousing inner conductors, said shoulder serving to short circuit the housing inner conductors not in registry with said rotor coaxial conductor means.

-3. A coaxial switchcomprising a housing having a rotor chamber including an enlarged diameter portion and a'reduced diameter portion, a rotor'having an enlarged diameter portion snugly fitting within the enlarged diameter portion of-the chamber and having a reduced diameter portion connecting with the enlarged diameter portion of the rotor on a radially extending annular shoulder and snugly fitting within the reduced diameter portion' of the chamber, said housing having a plurality of coaxial conductors disposed about the peripheryof i said chamber including inner conductors overlapping said shoulder for electrical continuity therewith, said rotor having coaxial conductor means at the periphery thereof for selective continuity with said housing coaxial conductors and including an inner conductor having a contact surface generally flush with said rotor annularsho'ulder for'continuity with said housing inner conductors, said 'shoulder'serving toshort circuitsaid'housing inner conductors-not in registrywithsaid rotor coaxial conductor means, and said housing'having a recess at the region betweensaid enlarged diameter and said reduced diameter portions of said chamber and providing a substantial space: between the rotor inner conductor andthe interior wall of said chamber, said rotor inner conductor being in open circuit relation to said housing in'all-positions thereof.

- 4. A coaxial' switchcomprising a housing having a rotor chamber including an enlarged diameter "portion and-a reduced diameter 'po'rtion, a rotorhavingan enlarged diameter portion snugly :fittingwithin the; enlarged diameter portion of :the chamber and havingta2reduced diameter portion connecting with .the.enl'argedzidiameter portion of the' rotor son a iradially i extending annular shoulder and: snuglyrifitting withintithe reduced-1 diameter portion oflthelchamber, saidhousing having avplurality of coaxial conductors disposed about the periphery of said chamber including inner conductors overlapping said shoulder for electrical continuity therewith, said rotor having coaxial conductor means at the periphery thereof for selective continuity with said housing coaxial conductors and including an inner conductor having a contact surface generally flush with said rotor annular shoulder for continuity with said housing inner conductors, said shoulder serving to shortcircuit said housing inner conductors not in registry with said rotoncoaxi'al conductor means, and said housingproviding. an access aperture for said rotor at the enlarged diameter portion of saidchamber, whereby said rotor may be inserted into and removed from said chamber without disturbing said housing coaxial conductors, andsaid housing having a recess at the region between said enlarged diameter and said reduced diameter portions of said chamber providingta substantial space between the rotor inner conductor and the interior wall of said chamber, said rotor inner conductor being in open circuit relation to said housing in .all positions thereof, and said recess being of shallow radial extent in comparison to thediameter of the outer conductors in said housing to minimize the physical discontinuity in the outer conductors in the housing caused by said recess.

5. A coaxial switch comprising a housing having an interior rotor chamber with a plurality of coaxial switching stations arcuately spaced about the periphery of said cha iber, each station including an inner and outer coaxial conductor, and a coaxial switch rotor rotatable in said chamber and including an inner conductor at the periphery thereof for selective alignment with the inner conductors of said stations, said housing having an annular' recess extending about the periphery of said rotor chamber between adjacent stations with the wall of said recess being of conducting material and being substantially spaced from the rotor inner conductor, said'rotor inner'conductor being in electrical open circuit relation to said housing as the rotor is moved between switching positions, and said recess being of relatively shallow radial extent in comparison to the diameter of the outer conductors of the coaxial switching stations'tominimize the physical discontinuity caused by the recess in the outer conductors of the switching stations.

6. A switch comprising a housing having a rotor'chamber= therein defined by an interior electrically conductive wall'witha plurality of switching-stations adjacent said chamber, and a rotor mounted in said chamber and having-a rotor inner conductor at the periphery thereof for selectively establishing continuity with the switching stations, said housing having agroove therein about the peripheryof said chamber between switching stations with the-walls of the groove being substantially spaced from the rotor innerconductor, said rotor inner conductor being substantially spaced from the walls of the groove and the interiorwall of-the housing in all directions by a distance sutficient to efiectively prevent transfer of high frequency electrical energy from the rotor inner conductor to the walls of the groove and the interior wall of the housing as the-rotor is moved between switching stations, the rotor inner conductor thereby being maintained in electrical open circuit relation to the housing in moving between switching stations.

7.-'A:switch comprising-a housing having a rotor chamber therein defined by an interior electrically conductive wall with a plurality of switching stations adjacent said chamber, and a rotor mounted in saidchamber and having arotor inner. conductor. at the periphery thereof for sele'ctively establishing continuity-with the. switching stations,;said housing .having a groove therein about the periphery of said, chamberbetween switching stations with the walls of the groove being substantiallytspacedfrom the-rotor. inner conductor, said rotorinner. conductor being substantially spaced, from ,the walls of the groove and theinterior wall of the housing in all directions by a dis- 5 tance sufficient to effectively prevent transfer of high freconductor from the groove walls and housing interior wall quency electrical energy from the rotor inner conductor to a in all directions to minimize the P y discontinuity the walls of the groove and the interior wall of the housing caused y the recessas the rotor is moved between switching stations, the rotor inner conductor thereby being maintained in electrical 5 References Cited in the file of this Patant open circuit relation to the housing in moving between UNITED STATES PATENTS switching stations, the rotor inner conductor h ving a 2,3 0,219 d d 0m, 10, 1944 minimum spacing from the walls of the groove in the 2 426,135 D A 26 1947 direction axially of the rotor inner Conduc r SH II- 2,427,940 Ayres Sept. 23, 1947 tially equal to the minimum spacing of the rotor inner 10 2,702,877 Noon Feb. 22, 1955 

